10/08/2026
Draft Minutes of Annual General Meeting 30th June 2026
At The Riverside Hotel Ilkley
1 Attendees
Current club officers; David Adam (Secretary), Peter Ward (Treasurer), Lee Crawford (Hepolite A Team Captain), Robert Dennington (BDCA B Team Captain, Hepolite B team Captain & Tournament Controller)), and Mark Rogerson (BDCA A Team Captain); Other members Richard Allen, Gerard Killoran, John Link, Trevor Murch, Hasu Patel, John Seppings and Bill Tait.
Apologies: William Boothman (Harrogate Organiser) and John Cleland (Webmaster)
2 Prior AGM and introduction
The draft minutes of the 2025 AGM had been circulated by email and had not been commented on for amendment. These were taken as read and hereby approved. There were no other matters arising from the 2025 AGM, apart from than those addressed in the following.
3 Recap of recent events
BDCA (Lee Crawford LC)
LC reported that the BDCA AGM on June 2nd had been attended by himself as a BDCA officer. He also attended the presentation dinner on June 9th. As only 17 people attended the AGM there was not a decision- taking quorum but there were no major discussion points arising from the chairman’s report or the treasurer’s report. The chairman (Rik Panesar) had stood down at the AGM being succeeded by Mick Overend of Saltaire and Lee himself has taken over as BDCA Secretary as well as continuing as Rating Officer.
Shipley will be leaving their long-time venue and are looking for a new one. Andy Wainwright is probably pulling out of running junior chess at the Latvian club, and whilst others are considering taking it on if it closes Bradford Chess Club may lose the venue.
The Bob Burns summer tournament is currently underway
Website (John Cleland JC)
JC’s reported in writing as follows: - “Over the past 12 months, the site has received 352 sessions from 269 individual visitors. Unsurprisingly nearly all the visitors are based in the UK. The site appears at the top or near the top of the first page of the Google web browser. I have not put much content on the site but am happy to advertise the summer chess - assuming that we are putting it on.
I am prepared for a further year to absorb the annual cost of £120 as a donation to the club but have not been aware that it has directly contributed to recruitment of new members. That said, we appear to have fewer instances of visiting teams going to the Chess Centre by mistake. My sense is that we need a site to be credible as a club but we do not need something that is very sophisticated given our restricted needs, e.g. no juniors.”
The attendees thanked John for all that he had done with the web-site and fully accepted his recommendation. It was also proposed that the web-site was promoted on the club WhatsApp.
Dinners (David Adam DA)
Two members' dinners (one a curry night in Otley and the second an Italian night in Ilkley) had been held, both of which had been enjoyed by all attendees. The meeting strongly endorsed that such dinners were invaluable in maintaining the persona of Ilkley Chess Club and its USP as a friendly, sociable club; a point to reiterate on the website.
It was agreed that one should be arranged for the early part of the new season with a second planned to be held in the new year.
4 Treasurer’s Report Peter Ward (PW)
PW had circulated the accounts, budget and notes in advance of the meeting. He presented the accounts for the year showing a net surplus for the year of £621 (2025- a deficit of £214). To recap, adult members’ annual subscriptions had been increased to £100 (with a 50% rate for “country members” who did not attend the club), and with no match fees. The most significant cost in the Income and Expenditure account continued to be the rental paid for the church hall-viz £1240. This was under-pinned by 16 full-year subscription paying members plus two part-contributions, but no juniors’ subscriptions or country members. Two longstanding members had pre-paid a couple of years’ future subscriptions to give the Treasurer some buffer. £210 had been received by way of Donations.
PW then reviewed a budget which he had drafted for 2026/27 projecting a surplus of £157. These reflected subscriptions maintained at £100 per adult as a contingency in case of a modest decline in membership. PW also advised that the opening night was organised for Tuesday 8th September 2026, when Robert Dennington would be arranging a ten-minute competition. Christmas closure was budgeted from 15th December and club night closure was assumed from 23rd March, but with provision for four other 2026/7 BDCA league fixtures. No cost had been provided for in the budget for the renewal of the website.
Hence, there was obviously going to be some flex with the budget given the maintenance of membership numbers, returning members and new members. If members attended for twenty of the thirty booked evenings that equated to £5 per evening with no match levy!
5 Captains’ reports
Robert Dennington produced league tables and player/team performance tables.
5.1 Bradford DCA league A team Mark Rogerson (MR)
In a division of eight teams, MR reported that Ilkley A came with third with 15 points out of 28 in division 1, in a league dominated by South Bradford and The Chess Centre.
Bradford DCA league B team Robert Dennington (RD)
RD reported that it was a successful season: the team coming second in Division 2, which comprised eight teams and hence were due for promotion to division 1.
5.2 Bradford DCA Hepolite teams Lee Crawford (LC) and Robert Dennington (RD)
22 teams participated in the Hepolite where the format continued to be two half-hour games in the respective evenings, playing 5 matches.
Our A team came 2nd with 3 wins and 6 points and the B team came 17th with 2 wins and 4 points. Again, neither team incurred any defaults.
5.3 Harrogate Evening League (HEL) team and Ray Slatcher Memorial match versus Harrogate William Boothman (WB)
William’s written report noted that Ilkley finished mid table in the league with a record of three wins one draw and three losses giving seven match points from seven games. One win was by default and there is still one outstanding fixture which he had given up on as the opposing team is poorly organised and has three unplayed fixtures. Nine players were used over the season with only Robert playing all six matches and finishing with an excellent 5/6. The league was ultimately won by Chess Centre Enigmas.
There is some talk of splitting the league into an open and a minor league next season to prevent some of the mismatches that sometimes occur. Last he heard the minor league would be three boards with a 1600 grading limit. If this comes to pass he would suggest the club enters a team in both the minor and open leagues next season.
Attempts were made to organise the Raymond Slatcher memorial match in February but they didn’t get off the ground. He still hopes to be able to get it played this year, possibly at “The Riverside” in late August.
Harrogate Chess Club had staged a jamboree on 11th May in which we entered 2 teams.
William is willing to continue as Harrogate captain and would be prepared to organise both open and minor teams if the minor league gets off the ground and we choose to enter a second side.
6 Competition Controller’s Reports Robert Dennington (RD)
RD supplied detailed individual results sheets for the club competitions and reported the outcome of the current season’s competitions as: -
16 members had participated in the Silver King competition which was played on a five game Swiss basis. It was won on the sum of the results method by Lee Crawford; with he and John Cleland tieing with four points (three wins and two draws each). The trophy was presented by Robert Dennington.
There had been an early season 10-minute competition which had been won by Gerard Killoran on the sum of the results method. He and Trevor Murch had tied with 4 points.
The Christmas Lightning Tournament was won by Gerard Killoran, with four points out of five, with Mark Rogerson, Lee Crawford and Trevor Murch all on 3.5 points.
Robert Dennington was thanked for his excellent organisation and recording.
7 BDCA including teams
There was a wide-ranging discussion with differing views expressed about whether we should seek that our B team declines promotion and remains in division 2, if permitted by the BDCA, and the teams that were entered in the 2026/7 BDCA competitions as well as the HEL. After it by majority votes the following proposals were agreed re team entries etc:-
We would seek that our B team is not promoted to division 1.
2 teams are to be entered in the BDCA four-board league.
2 teams to be entered in the Hepolite Cup, a three-board competition. (This by a narrow majority with the caveat that at the beginning of the season the number of members who wished to participate would be kept under review.)
1 team would be entered in the “Clough” competition.
We would maintain entry into the HEL and actively pursue club involvement with Harrogate CC.
8 General review
8.1 It was unanimously agreed that Ilkley Chess Club should be maintained as a free-standing club and that member attendance for over-the-board chess was paramount.
8.2 Inter alia, PW’s proposals that subscriptions were maintained at £100 per adult, £50 for “country members” and £50 per student/junior with no match fees were endorsed. For members who joined part way through the season he would continue to time-apportion the subscriptions appropriately. It was agreed that the club would stay open until the end of April (the Tuesday at Easter excepted), which he thought would equate to one extra night over his budget assumptions .
8.3 The Silver King competition would be played again on a Swiss system: the scheduled games being played by scheduled dates. (Participants were to make agreed playing arrangements with their opponent, which could take place on any day and venue as well as at the club when not playing in matches.) NB ECF membership was required for participation in the Silver King.
8.4 William Boothman will continue to organise summer outdoor chess evenings at "The Riverside Hotel” as last year on Wednesday evenings.
9 Election of Officers
There was a wide-ranging debate with different viewpoints expressed about David Adam’s announced intention to stand down as Secretary, who had been in dialogue with possible successors. Several club members had advised that they would take over the position if it was otherwise unfilled (Bill Tait from next season, two others preferably not now but with Mark Rogerson prepared to do it from now if David Adam could not be persuaded to continue for one more season.) Ultimately this was how the position was left. Hence the following existing club officers and members were elected/re-elected for 2026-27: -
Secretary D.Adam
Treasurer P.Ward
BDCA A league team captain M.Rogerson
BDCA B league team captain R.Dennington
BDCA Hepolite A team captain L.Crawford
BDCA Hepolite B team captain R.Dennington
Clough team captain L.Crawford
H.E.L. captain and Harrogate link W. Boothman
Silver King & Quick-play Controller R.Dennington
Webmaster J.Cleland
10 Data Protection Act and Member Circularisation
As a reminder DA reported that: -
The secretary, treasurer, captains and competition secretary needed to keep members names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses whilst they were active members. This would be updated annually. Communications were predominantly by email which, where adjudged appropriate would be addressed to all team members, competition members or club members respectively.
Moreover, members who enter the Silver King competition each year give their specific consent to their home contact details (normally email) being available to all participants by the competition secretary’s circularisation for the sole purpose of ease of communication amongst themselves to arrange matches; such consent to be renewed on an annual basis. In the case of teams, this enables mutually beneficial transport arrangements to be made.
All the above information to be held on secure computers by the respective authorised club officers. The club officers will not release personal contact details to e.g., commercial bodies, such information being used for member participation in Ilkley Chess Club within Bradford DCA and the ECF.
Any member who is not comfortable with any aspect of the above should advise the secretary accordingly and seek to make alternative arrangements.
11 Any Other Business
11.1 New Season internal competition dates
It was agreed that the club would stage a quick-play competition on 8th September 2026 with the “Lightning” being played before the start of the Christmas break, in concert with the BDCA fixture dates.
11.2 ECf subscriptions
Members both current and new are to be reminded that, ECF subscription are needed to be paid by ALL* competition playing members, notably playing in BDCA and HEL fixtures as well as the internal Silver King competition. At present the minimum ECF membership, bronze, cost £22 p.a.
11.3 Proposed chess ladder
John Link proposed that a chess ladder be introduced for the next season, with games to be played at the club when no team fixtures or club competitions were occupying interested members. There were mixed views on that and if there was member buy-in it would not fall under the jurisdiction of the Competition Controller.
11.4 Vote of thanks
John Link proposed a vote of thanks for all the club officials for their roles in running an engaging, successful and pleasant chess club.
